The other members of the selection panel are Sreedharan himself and Union Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna.

Around 20 people have applied for the post of MD of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the panel is currently screening the applications, sources said.

The government had advertised for the post in July seeking application from suitable candidates.

Earlier this year, 78-year-old Sreedharan had written to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit requesting her to start the process of selecting his successor well ahead of his retirement in December so that the new appointee had time to understand the organisation and it functioning.

Sreedharan, in his letter, had requested Dikshit to select an "experienced professional" to manage the organisation as its operation was growing gradually and that the annual turnover has already touched Rs 12,000 crore.

The extension of service given to Sreedharan last year will come to an end on December 31. He has been given three extensions by the government.

Sources said the 'Metro man', credited for the world-class metro network in the city, will continue to be involved with DMRC in some advisory capacity.

Delhi Metro, which currently has an operational network of over 185 km, ferries over 16 lakh passengers on week days through over 2,500 trips.